1. Field Of The Invention
This invention relates to a method of manufacturing electric wires by ordering and to a system of manufacturing electric wires by ordering to be manufactured and delivered to an orderer, the electric wire being used for a wiring harness or the like for interconnection of a car as a vehicle.
2. Description Of The Related Art
An electric wire is made by continuously coating synthetic resin on an electric conductor so that manufacturing longer wire gives better productivity and electric wires usually may be manufactured under minimizing changes of coating colors as much as possible. Thus, usually a longer electric wire is manufactured without change of a coating color. Usual shipping units are large lot sizes of long wires and are sold by piece of respective colors required by an, orderer at a warehouse of an electric wire dealer. A wire harness for interconnecting with many wire colors may be used in a car, a domestic electric product, an aircraft and an electric machine.
Many electronic apparatuses are installed in a car as a vehicle. Then, wire harnesses interconnect electronic apparatuses in the car to supply electric power from an electric power source to the electronic apparatuses and to output control signals from a computer to the electronic apparatuses. A wire harness comprises a plurality of electric wires and a connector being joined with an end of the electric wire.
An electric wire includes an electrical conductive core wire and an insulating covering for coating the core wire. The electric wire is a so-called coated electric wire. A connector is provided with a terminal and an insulating connector housing. The terminal is made of an electrical conductive metal plate or the like. The connector housing is formed into box-shape for receiving the terminal. By mating the connector with a connector in an electronic apparatus, the wire harness transmits required electric power and signals to the electronic apparatus.
Respective electric wires of the wire harness are required to be distinguishable about a size of core wire, a material of a covering (some coverings of some electric wires may require heat resistance) and a purpose of use. The purpose of use is for a control signal of an airbag, ABS (Antilock Brake System) or car speed information or for controlling a car about respective systems, such a power transmitting system.
The electric wires of the wire harness are colored variously to distinguish the purpose of use (system). An electric wire is usually made to coat a core wire with a colored synthetic resin in which a required coloring material is mixed.
Therefore, in a factory of electric wires, electric wires of all colors ordered by an orderer are manufactured respectively and cut in a predetermined length, such as 500 or 2000 meters and bundled. In the process of receiving an order to delivering required electric wires to an orderer, bundles of electric wires with requested colors are shipped from a factory of electric wires to a distribution center, and at the distribution center the bundled electric wires are cut in respectively required lengths, and are delivered to the orderer. Or, a number of bundles of electric wires to meet order amount are delivered to the orderer.
According to the usual method of manufacturing electric wires by ordering as mentioned above, electric wires are respectively cut in, for example, 500-2000 meters and are bundled at a factory of electric wires. At the factory of electric wires, many various color electric wires, which may be required by an orderer, are manufactured. Furthermore, bundles of electric wires are cut in respective lengths corresponding to amount of an order of an orderer at a distribution center. Or, a number of bundles of electric wires to meet order amount are delivered to the orderer.
When a number of bundles of electric wires to meet an order amount are delivered to the orderer, the orderer may purchase an amount of electric wires which is more than required amount. Therefore, when the orderer manufactures the above-mentioned wire harnesses or other products using the electric wires, the cost of the products may be increased. Furthermore, when the bundled electric wires are cut in respectively required lengths at the distribution center and are delivered to the orderer the remaining electric wires may exist respectively on each color at the distribution center.
Thus, according to the usual method of manufacturing electric wires by ordering as mentioned above, at least one of a distribution center and an orderer may have an amount of electric wires more than the required amount so that it is undesirable for saving materials.
Each color of the electric wires is manufactured respectively at the factory of electric wires so that a large room for storing electric wires is required at the factory of electric wires and the distribution center. Therefore, the productivity of wire harnesses is declined so that costs of products using the wire harnesses may be increased.
To overcome the above drawback of prior art, one object of the present invention is to provide a method of manufacturing electric wires by ordering and a system of manufacturing electric wires by ordering which can restrain increasing costs of products using electric wires such as wire harnesses and can save materials.